2004 Prius Getting P3030 Code, Should I Replace the Battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by thorn, Jun 28, 2023.

  1. thorn

    thorn Member

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    I have a 2004 Prius that I bought new. The last 4 years I have noticed that the battery does not have the capacity it used to. Still getting 49mpg. I started it last night and got the red triangle. I got a P3030 code. I wonder if it would be better to just replace the battery since it is 19 years old and 140k miles? I called our local Toyota dealer and a new battery is $1,950 with a $1300 core charge and he said that the core must be certified by a tech and not sure how that would work. The parts guy said he never sold one before, only through the service dept. I asked the service dept how much and they said $3,000. I guess $1,000 in labor, yikes. The warranty is 1 year either way.
    The car has been mostly garage kept until about 3 years ago so it is in good shape and we still drive it. How big a job is it to replace the battery? I don't think I want to replace the cells. For years I have been doing all my maintenance and minor repairs for our cars and tractors. I put in a grid tie solar system and wired my house and garage when I built it.
     
    #1 thorn, Jun 28, 2023
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  2. Stefanovich

    Stefanovich Junior Member

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    Okay, so one issue might be that you kept it garage. Cars in general, and especially Priuses, like to be used. So generally the more you drive it, the better shape the battery will be in. But on to the battery. Replacing it yourself is lengthy but doable. If you have worked on other cars before then you probably already have the tools except for some high voltage insulated gloves rated for 1,000 volts. Some of the bus bars might be worn so you may need to purchase some of them as well. It really depends on how much work you want to put into the car. It took me nearly 10 hours over the course of several days but that was because I didn't have any experience working on cars. You might go faster. There are videos on YouTube of replacing the battery yourself so you can check to see how complicated it looks on those videos.
     
    #2 Stefanovich, Jun 28, 2023
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  3. thorn

    thorn Member

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    It was garage kept, after we get home from driving it we put it in our garage. Helps protect cars, they seem to last longer not being out in the sun and elements. Now I keep our 2017 Prius Prime in the garage since it is newer and needs to be plugged in. The older Prius is kept outside mostly but driven regularly.

    I'll look for some videos on replacement to see what's involved. Thanks.
     
    #3 thorn, Jun 28, 2023
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Battery replacement is pretty straightforward and if you read up, take all high voltage precautions and take your time, you’ll be fine
     
    #4 bisco, Jun 28, 2023
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  5. Stefanovich

    Stefanovich Junior Member

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    Just be sure to get an OEM battery. I tried the NewPriusBatteries kit and after only 3.5 years it is already showing signs of premature aging. The extra $300 is worth it.
     
    #5 Stefanovich, Jun 28, 2023
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  6. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    If you do install the Toyota battery, be sure to torque all fasteners to specifications. Many studs in the HV system need 48 INCH pounds. You have to transfer some bits from the old assembly over to the replacement.

    Inspect the HV battery ecu connections (esp the orange one) for corrosion. I believe you get a new harness, but if needed buy a used replacement ecu on ebay.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #6 mr_guy_mann, Jun 28, 2023
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  7. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Having the freeze frame data may help with honing it down, but you could shotgun some cheap parts and labor as well.
    Battery could be fine, you might inspect/install "82165-47040 (Wire, Frame, No, 2)", and check the HV battery ECU for corrosion or broken traces.
    One (1) year for OTC, and three (3) years if dealer installed. Quite likely a new OEM battery will last 10+ yrs regardless of who installs it.
    Doable, but a bit heavy for one person. New OEM might take you three (3) hours, there are plug and play videos swapping in 10 mins.
    On that note, have you inspected/cleaned the HV battery fan lately?
     
    #7 SFO, Jun 30, 2023
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  8. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Sounds like you have enough skills to pull a new battery install off. Your best bet is a new Toyota battery. Don't buy a Green Tec or other "Rebuilt" battery's or Craig's List rebuild nonsense.

    BUT....

    Keep in mind there are alot of other expensive monsters lurking in your car based on age. That will bust you out after an expensive hybrid battery replacement.

    One is the brake abs pump. Very common very expensive.

    Other is the AC. Your way over due for ac issues and they are all super expensive. If the evap coil under the dash fails your looking at alot of $$$ to replace it and its very very common. Not to mention all the nickle and dime crap owning a very old car.

    You own a 19 year old car soon to be 20 years old. Its the definition of a money pit. You already own a nice 2017 why bury yourself in this one?
     
    #8 edthefox5, Jun 30, 2023
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